


Choices

by Fawkes_Rinzler



Category: BioShock Infinite
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, More tags to be added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:06:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8184913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawkes_Rinzler/pseuds/Fawkes_Rinzler
Summary: Robert is standing in the middle of the Alley. On the one side, Booker Dewitt. On the Other, Zachary Comstock. In his arms is a baby, and in his heart his a choice he doesn't want to make.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seleniticexplorer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seleniticexplorer/gifts).



> A sort of Birthday Gift to my dear Seleniticexplorer.
> 
> The tense in this fic is a bit odd because I was doing it as a "What if" scenario when I first started~

Robert is looking back and forth down the street, the guilt tearing him apart as Comstock stands at one end and Mr. Dewitt at the other. His stomach clenches and his heart begins to pound and he begins to question everything he's done with his life up to now. He can hear Rosalind crying for him down the street, calling his name frantically as time makes the Tear grow weak. Robert begins to think that if he turns and runs right now, he might be able to make it out alive and save this girl from a horrible life... Then a tear suddenly opens beside him and Rosalind pulls him through. 

"Hide the baby!" She orders sharply, "I can't leave him on the other side, people will ask questions!" 

Robert swaddles little Anna up in a cover from the couch and flees into the cold, misty morning of Columbia, his brain beginning to hemorrhage as it suffers from the sharp time-line shift. Blood from his nose drips onto the new blanket as he turns and runs down the street. He doesn't have a place he can go. He doesn't know where he can hide. But he has an idea. It's a secret between him and his sister. A small island that floats near their lab, inaccessible to everyone but them. Robert doesn't have time to hesitate so he flees down the foggy street, the only living person in the world awake that early, save the baby now whimpering in his arms.

The skyline isn't connected to the island so Robert is forced to jump. The smaller island always floats beneath the one their lab is on so getting onto it is simple. It's getting off of it that's tricky. The wind rushes past him as he lands rather hard on the brick ground of their small sanctuary. Drawing the baby close, he walks towards the small house that was built for their privacy and protection. Fink is a constant menace in their lives, and the privacy seemed more and more necessary every day. Once the door is shut and bolted, Robert presses his back to the wall and slowly slinks to the floor. His arms are numb and aching from holding the child, who is now openly weeping.

He hushes her weakly, but has very little energy to do anything else. A bit of his blood had gotten on her hand, so he wipes it away with shaky fingers. The weight of what he has done finally begins to press into him like an frozen blanket, penetrating through skin and bone and logic until it curled around the fragile viscera of his heart. He has stolen a child from a drunkard father, defected from an insane zealot, and made himself enemy number 1 because he cannot let this little baby... this tiny girl in his arms....live a life anything less than what she deserves...Which is the chance to be whatever she wants.

As if realizing the gravity of the situation, and the state of the man holding her, the baby's cries soften as she looks up at her captor and caretaker with wide, innocent eyes. A small hand, wiped clean of blood, reaches up in curiosity. Robert takes her tiny hand in his own and does his best to offer his first smile in years...

But he cracks.

Like thin ice shattering underfoot, Robert's resolve breaks as he begins to cry, clutching the baby tightly to his chest as he mumbles apologies to his sister, for ruining her life's work, the baby's father, for taking his daughter away from him, and to the baby, for changing her life forever..

Robert had looked down at her face in the alley, and wanted to give her the chance to choose... But by taking her away, he had already robbed her of this......

"I am so sorry, little one," Robert croaks, "I am so so sorry..." 

Robert's not sure how long he's sitting on the floor, but it's dark and foggy again by the time someone knocks on the front door. The little one is asleep, long since passed out, and Robert cannot recall if he had fallen asleep at some point as well. Still cradling the baby in his arms, Robert stands slowly and walks to the front door, hesitance in his step. He has very little doubt that it's Rosalind, but exhaustion and fear had worn down his good sense to leave the rough edges of paranoia sharp and cutting. He pressed his hand to the door handle, but waits.

"It's me, Robert.... Please open the door?"

Swallowing his relieved gasp, Robert unlocks the door and throws it open, expecting the warm greeting of a hug, but is instead shoved aside as the door slams shut and is bolted once more. Rosalind looks haggard, her red hair sticking out at all sides and curling gracelessly around her pale features. She glances down at the child in Robert's arms, her lips nearly disappearing with how thinly they are pursed. However, some resolve within her breaks and her body sags as a sigh deflates her rigid posture.

"It took quite a lot, Robert," She informs her brother stiffly, "But he does not remember. The baby is far from his mind now, but he does know you've done something very bad that has made him very angry. You aren't safe," She announces, "Thusly, neither am I."

Robert shakes his head, worrying at his lip as he looks down at the small, resting creature, "I never meant for this to happen," He admits softly, "I didn't.... I don't know what happened," Robert mumbles. He then walks to the small living room so he can set the sleeping baby down on the couch, undisturbed so that he and his sister can talk in peace, "I just wanted more for her."

"I don't blame you," Rosalind assures calmly, "What Comstock had planned for her was positively beastly. However, we cannot simply stay in Columbia and expect to be safe forever. We must leave."

Robert shakes his head, "But where? And how do we raise a child? Oh, Rosalind... we haven't thought this through," Robert whispers fearfully, "I haven't thought this through..."

Rosalind seems to finally be aware of how unkempt she looks, because she quickly tucks her stray hairs back into place and smoothes out the creases in her skirt, "Regardless, you did make a choice, Robert. One I'll stick by you on. First, we'll have to return to make a tear to a different universe. One where we aren't well known. We'll settle down a bit differently. It won't be easy, but I'm sure we'll manage. Twin Physicists from Alternate dimensions are hardly stable parents for a baby they kidnapped. We'll find another, more reasonable explanation once we get to wherever it is we're going."

Robert suddenly feels a tremendous guilt press against his chest, weighing him down and enforcing his resistance, "But you worked so hard to get to where you are today, Sister. Columbia.... Columbia is your child, your magnum opus.... you can't just leave her because of this...... lapse in judgement?"

Rosalind seems to weigh this considerably, her gaze falling to the floor as she contemplates her brother's words, "Lapse in judgement or not, Robert... she is a child..... and now, we are all she has," Rosalind nods slowly, "There is no going back now."

Robert knows this is true, but some part of him wishes it wasn't. To just give the child back to Booker Dewitt and then move to another time would be far easier. However, it couldn't be. The baby would never survive under Mr. Dewitt's care... Not the way he was going... 

Robert took a deep breath and sighed, "Dinner first," He murmured, "We'll plan after, and leave in the morning."


End file.
